Abstract
Low-dose γ-irradiation can stimulate plant growth and development; however, the knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of such stimulation is yet fragmented. Irradiation of seeds leads to the mobilisation of endosperm resources and reallocation of available nitrogen to facilitate development. Based on the metabolomic analysis, several metabolites possibly involved in radiation stimulation were studied using the HPLC approach in barley cultivars after γ-irradiation of seeds. The comparison of changes in metabolite concentrations and changes in morphological traits after irradiation revealed seven metabolites that may be involved in the growth stimulation after γ-irradiation of barley seeds. Among them are free amino acids, such as γ-aminobutyric acid, β-alanine, arginine, lysine, glutamine, methionine, and a signalling compound methylglyoxal.
Highlights
The world will require a dramatic increase in food production in the 30 years because of the world population growth and the effects of climate change including, but not limited to, increased temperature, changing patterns of rainfall, and elevated levels of CO2 and ozone [1]
We found a significant decrease in arginine concentrations in shoots of barley cultivars Eryoma and Master, and three-fold increases in shoots of the Fox 1 cultivar and in the roots of the Leon cultivar (Table 3, Figure 2)
We found a significant increase in the glutamine content in roots of the Ratnik cultivar (Table 3, Figure 2)
Summary
The world will require a dramatic increase in food production in the 30 years because of the world population growth and the effects of climate change including, but not limited to, increased temperature, changing patterns of rainfall, and elevated levels of CO2 and ozone [1]. Low-dose γ-irradiation of seeds often leads to a range of positive growth effects, such as increased biomass, accelerated germination and development, and improved immune responses and tolerance to stressors—the phenomenon known as the radiation hormesis [2,3,4,5]. A disruption of cellular homeostasis that leads to the unfolded protein response (UPR) [6] and heat shock response (HSR) [7] is among possible triggers of radiation hormesis. The positive effect on growth and development of low-dose irradiated plants can be related to the modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels [5] and phytohormonal balance [9]. ROS-related responses might be connected to changes in phytohormonal signalling pathways since evidence supports ROS as being central molecules acting as hubs on different phytohormonal cascades [10]. The specific metabolites responsible for radiation hormesis effects still have to be discovered
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